Chico State Greek activities suspended by president after alcohol overdose death

CHICO — Chico State University President Paul Zingg today suspended all sorority and fraternity activities due to the recent alcohol overdose of a student and other matters.

Addressing a gathering of the Greek community in the Bell Memorial Union Auditorium, he said students don't get a "free pass" for allowing a brother to drink 21 shots on his 21st birthday, and "pass out in his vomit."

He was referring to the case of Mason Sumnicht, who died today of an alcohol overdose, according to the Butte County Coroner's Office.

While Chico State spokesman Joe Wills would not comment on any fraternity affiliation for Sumnicht, the campus newspaper The Orion has reported he was pledging Sigma Pi this semester. A website lists him as a member of that fraternity's flag football, soccer and volleyball teams.

Zingg told the Greeks they will not be able to recruit or have socials until the spring semester, at which time a re-education and reinstatement program will be developed.

Zingg told the group of perhaps 250 students that seven years ago there was a death due to a fraternity hazing, a riot downtown, and other episodes.

He said he met with Greeks then and demanded changes. Things improved greatly, he said, but recently there has been slippage.

Drew Calandrella, the campus vice president for student affairs, also spoke at the gathering, which lasted about 45 minutes.

He pointed to problems involving fraternities and sororities last semester and this semester. They included incidents of drinking with potential new members, which violates the rules; allegations of hazing; assaults; sexual assaults and "three hazing incidents within the last 30 days."

He said he knew that many Greek organizations are "exemplars" of what Greek life is supposed to be.

"I also know that these kinds of behaviors in one fell swoop can wipe out all the positive side of the ledger," he said.

While the fraternities and sororities are on suspension, they will have to cover up or remove the Greek letters from their houses, he said.

Many of the students seemed shocked by the decision to suspend their activities. Some women cried.

"I don't think it's fair to generalize us all into the negative group," Courtney Wessel, a member of the sorority Sigma Omega Phi, told a reporter from this newspaper.

Other students the reporter asked to comment on Zingg's decision said they didn't want to talk about it.